Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Recently I
came across a joke about PR. A mathematician, an accountant and a public
relations officer apply for the same job. When asked by the interviewer
"what does two plus two equal?" the mathematician and accountant say,
'4'. The public relations officer responds: "What do you want it to
equal?"

Here's what
I've learned about relationship between PR people and their clients. There's
several particular things clients want from communication agents. First, to be
told what to say; even if they know what to say, they still want a second
opinion and the way to clarify the message. Second, to get media coverage of
course. Third, to have process details shared with them at all times. It
benefits internal relationship and smoothes operations. Fourth, to deal with
crisis situations, which require apologies and cleaning the mess up. Fifth, to
generate cash back as the bottom line. Followers, likes, re-tweets, shares at
the end must equal cash!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

As someone
interested in the field of public relations and studying this for the past year
I know there's a variety of aspects involved. I've learned some about different
types of public relations interviews. The first would be the job interview. And
of course I will have to go through it to be able to get a position in the
field. As with any other career industry, I will have to prepare. Do my
homework, as many say. Taking a good, relevant internship will be vital because
employers are increasingly demanding that job applicants have related
experience. And I'm excited do projects for Vine Multimedia, which I recently
got internship at.

It was
crucial to develop experience and skills that help me to prepare. Through
university I've worked on a number of PR projects. Some of them were interesting,
some were not. But the more challenging the project, the stronger you become:
it worked exactly this way for me. I developed my public speaking,
communications, copywriting and graphic design skills. And many more. But it's
only the beginning, the development should not stop.

Speaking of
representing a company, I'd note that corporations must be interviewed for
their side of a story. For example, if a particular firm is receiving bad
publicity on an issue, it is important to talk with the people running it to
see what they have to say about their decisions and their involvement in
various matters. Sometimes you have to get under their skin, which could be very
challenging and uncomfortable for them. If it's a campaign to increase
awareness for a company, I have to learn about them first. Research comes
first, always; it's like a steering wheel in the car - you don't have it, you
can't drive it. The main things here are the organization's history, mission, goals,
and other supportive information. There's also a need for agents to help do an image
makeover. Based on what I've learned in Case Studies and Issues in PR class and
what I see in the news, they can be used to put a spin on issues for
celebrities and executives, or to repair their images through interviews or press
conferences. Clients are placing their trust in PR agents, who need to be sure
to deliver on that trust in order to maintain a strong relationship. Doesn't
matter who is a potential client or source of a future referral so the best
policy is to find a way to make sure you follow up on any opportunity, even if
the interaction seems to be small.

All of the
above refers to people skills that open career doors. Quality of interpersonal
skills is one of the important reasons employees are promoted to management
positions. It is never late to learn to conduct productive easygoing
conversations. I understand it's normal to be nervous when interacting with
people for the first time, but I do not let anxiety or tension stand on my way.
Reading body language helps a lot: expressions, gestures, posture, eye contact.
I'm not afraid to seek feedback and criticism anymore, at the end of the day
they make me think of how to improve my life. Those are the essential things that
I defined for myself, they can help anyone to be successful not only in the field of PR,
but in everyday routine. I started with myself, I made change and now I see it.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

A great way
to put your personal resources altogether and to create your own history. At
the end of the day we're all driven by our values, which should be aligned with
the goals and be the core of all the beginnings. Do not forget to dream and
picture yourself in the future. Have your opinion, let it be heard rather than
staying neutral. Being proved wrong gives you the opportunity to learn, the
more open you are the better your connection with the world. Proactive
lifestyle keeps you fit both mentally and physically, balancing these two makes
you stand out and be visible. Be true to yourself, know your weaknesses and
share beliefs. Have the priority of things: the first, the following, the
least. Become extension of your roots, it's certainly worthwhile; you are the
master of YOU brand, YOU image and YOU style. Sky's the limit, time is joy when one
does things the right way. Keep that in mind, always be kind and don't forget
to smile!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Once known
as the market leader of smart-phones, Research In Motion may have seen and
touched the future of mobile technology a few years ago, but was bumped off by
the introduction of Apple iPhone around 2007. At that time RIM was the master
of the smart-phone industry having loyal customers who were dedicated to
company's BlackBerry phones with the signature keyboard. It took them a couple
of years to realize that the future was going to be different from what company
had created. And they still didn't know how to reach it, an overloaded software
platform could simply stop functioning one day. In addition, RIM's marketing
strategy was a complete mess. Different agencies ruled their own versions of a
BlackBerry campaign almost in every country or region. Even within the same
region, campaigns would slightly change, which led to no lasting effect.

The
beginning of 2013 shed light on renamed as BlackBerry company's vision of the
future. Still not clear, still distant and risky. Although, some of the core
ways are determined. BlackBerry phones of the past were for communication, the
future ones are for computing, commanding, controlling. New devices will be
used to do business, command your car, or control your health. The launch of
BlackBerry 10 signalized company's re-design, re-engineering and re-invention.

Many say
the success in this market in no longer dependent on the device quality, it's
more about ecosystem. 70,000 of BlackBerry's applications are competing against 775,000 iPhone apps and 600,000 apps for Android. Great product is not enough
to regain lost ground, they need to grasp new opportunities. That's why this
case draws my attention: BlackBerry has the potential to get back to its leader
position if they make tough decisions. That refers to Thorstein Heins, CEO of the
company, who earned the reputation for doing so: after crisis he laid off about 5,000 workers and focused on software development. Now BlackBerry makes both
hardware and software just like Apple, but they can license the software
platform for additional revenue, which Apple does not do. Owned by BlackBerry QNX
Software company also developed a stable operating system to eliminate crashes
and is going to improve it over the next few years.

Overall,
BlackBerry's saga continues to gain momentum. They went back to basics by
taking the focus off the growth only, moved quickly towards restructuring the
marketing division under a centralized unit. Company's Live conferences were
aimed to change the perceptions about them and deliver the message "We're
back". Another way they intend to mainstream awareness is through the
carriers, which have rich advertising resources. Operators want to create competition and variety in handsets and BlackBerry will launch more new models this year and next year at the mid- and lower-ends. Let's see who wins this race...

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Thank you for the insightful tips. I am currently studying
PR at University of Winnipeg. I came to Canada less than 3 years ago from
Belarus and of course felt the need to develop communication skills. My
speaking wasn't too bad, but writing left much to be desired. At that time I
had no clue that I was going to be Public Relations and Marketing student (my
program includes both and is very intense). Working as a bartender I got to
know many people in the neighbourhood. That certainly helped me to open up and
not being afraid to speak up, even making mistakes or no sense at all. Anyway,
the feeling of doing something better than just that did not want to leave me.
I set up a goal - to become good at writing, be not only heard but read too.
This summer I'm finishing the program with other 25 domestic and international
students just like me. My class is very diverse in terms of backgrounds,
countries, and age. We all were taught a handful of essential PR skills. And
blogging is one of them. I must admit, for me it was a struggle at first as I
had never done it before. I remember the day when I was assigned to write my
first blog post. Inspiration left me for hours. Now those days are history.
Blogging became an ongoing process for me. Thanks to Samantha Lapedus and her
classes!

Occupy
Wall Street unites people regardless of colors, genders and political
persuasions as a leaderless resistance movement. The common thing between those
people is that They Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and
corruption of the 1%. The official website states that movement is using
the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve their goals and encourage the
use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

Up
to this date, numerous debates on gathering in Zuccotti Park in September 2011
still taking place. While the first Occupiers had originally came to protest Wall
Street, once the movement began their game plan was not very clear. What are
their goals? How are they going to pursue them? Nevertheless, Occupy began to
spread throughout the States and internationally, despite the lack of clarity.
After a month there were hundreds of other protests, debates, critiques across
not only American society.

Even
though Occupiers did not issue clear demands, one thing became evident to me
right away: they are aiming to reverse the agenda of global capitalism, which
increases socio-economic inequality and originates in U.S. Among the key
organizers there were Kalle Lasn, head of a small anti-consumerist magazine
from Vancouver, Vlad Teichberg, former derivatives trader, and David Graeber,
anthropologist at the University of London. They continue to build a movement
even after violent evictions across the U.S. and other countries. Some people
think it had come to an end. I don't believe that protesters had an intention of abandoning a
movement that had already bought out thousands of people to demand attention to
the economic inequalities.

On
the other hand, Occupy is not winning the war. No tangible results are seen, no
real organizational policy, no legislation influenced, no candidates put
forward. Nothing had really changed. Movement was set out to promote
self-expression and did not focus on any particular goal. Occupy together with
many labor unions could be a winning coalition of citizens, taking into account
that even police is unionized in New York. Organizers probably didn't care
about win-lose situations. They overly relied on viral effect of an idea. But even
small victories in a movement, struggle, resistance, campaign can turn
participants into fearless winners, who will feed off those win moments and get
only stronger. First of all, Occupy Wall Street needs a mission, so people can relate to it and follow. Without it the
movement has a risk to remain weak and uninfluential.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

As the largest
American multinational retailer corporation, the biggest private employer in
the world with 2.2 million employees, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., or Walmart, has
been running chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores
since 1962 (incorporated in 1969). Company is controlled by the Walton family
with 48% stake in it. It is also the U.S. largest grocery retailer and the world's third largest public
corporationafter Exxon
Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell. By the end of 2012 Walmart had 8,500 stores under
55 different names in 15 countries and is currentlydevelopping
strategies for growththrough the
next 20 years. The company is proud of its strategy and even incorporates it
within its moniker "Always Low prices, Always." While company's
business in United Kingdom, South America, and China is going very well, German
and South Korean ventures were unsuccessful.

Walmart is not
the only store criticized for its policies, but it has become a symbol for much
of what is wrong with employers. For the fiscal year ending in January 2011,
Walmart reporteda net income
of $15.4 billion on $422 billion of revenue. It's obviously a lot of
money to justify some questionable workplace practices; however, stories
persist about wage law violations, inadequate health care, exploitation of
employess, and the retailer's anti-union position. Some5,000
lawsuits are filed against the company each year. Walmart is facing
an enormous wave of negativity - from community activists trying to keep big
retailer away from their neighbourhoods, to local governments mandating that
Wal-Mart supply workers with health insurance, to opportunistic lawyers trying
to get rich by bringing on endless lawsuits, to labor unions, grassroots
organizations, religious organizations, environmental groups, and customers of
course. Company is being accused in racial and gender discrimination,
mistreating illegal aliens, denying overtime pay. Criticism also includes the
corporation's foreign product sourcing, treatment of suppliers, compensation
and working conditions, environmental practices, the use of public subsidies,
and the company's security policies.

PEST analysis
can help to define the areas of Walmart's concern which are important and
necessary to activate immediately. This analysis also reveals the positive or
negative affects to their business according to some factors. In political
sphere, corporation is affected by policies on economy and trading agreements,
such as NAFTA. Economically, unemployment rate and slightly increase in consumption
are likely to influence Walmart. The U.S. government is planning to decrease
the amount of supercenters to leverage capital assets through increase in
returns and sales across the country. In socio-cultural terms company is
affected by the faster pace of life where efficiency is the key. Social
infuence pushes consumers to shop at Walmart to the point where it becomes a
trend to use one stop service. Walmart uses IT technologies and online shopping
opportunities for the core purpose of marketing, they rely on social media for
advertising and selling their products.

There are many
groups and individuals who have a stake in what Walmart does, the market and
non-market stakeholders are among them. The first ones include the
stockholders, company's executives, employees, consumers, non-profit
organizations, online and gasoline retailers, and commuities where Walmart is
located. Non-market stakeholders have a non-economic or political stake in what
course the company takes, they are labor unions, international retail stores,
and politicians. In public, Walmart uses top of the line Public Relations
strategy firms to produce commercials for its stores and to portray the best
possible image. Its relationships with key stakeholders are maintained as well
by the communication of corporate statements on its Internet site and through
other paper based corporate communications. Walmart's public message is
consistent, and has been so over time. The core message is that Walmart is a
"family friendly" store, and that it is good to its customers, and
that it is an asset to the local community. The messages of selling for less,
respecting employees and communities, and expanding are all echoed in company's
Annual Reports.

According to
company's reports, their sales continue to improve, but different measures of
public opinion indicate that their reputation declines, which affects both
ability to reach new shoppers and to build new stores. In order to further
increase sales the company must either sell more products to existing customers
or identify new ones. Recent public opinion surveys indicate that although
people are shopping there, they are not happy about it because of Walmart's
poor business practices. The Harris Interactive survey found that shoppers
consider company's labor practices above all other social responsibility
issues. In 2008,The
Reputation Instituteranked the 150
largest U.S. companies based on "the overall trust, esteem, admiration and
good feelings consumers have toward them." Walmart came in at number 136
out of 150 companies, dropping 76 places from number 57 in 2007.Walmart
Watch 2007 Public Opinion Surveyindicates the
drop by 5% in overall favourability, 27% of respondents developed a more
negative opinion on the company. It's clear enough that Walmart needs more than
a logo or an advertising campaign to fix the situation.

After all this, we may be curious to
see how Walmart's social media strategy addresses its online brand reputation
issues. While being perceived as an "evil empire" by some, company
does a lot of good for its communities and the world, for example providing
2,450 truckloads of supplies to Hurricane Katrina victims and donating more
than $2 million to end world hunger. The brand developed the
strategy to share corporate news and build public goodwill by sharing
information about how Walmart is helping society. They created multiple Twitter
handles, each targeting a different audience with the information and messages
that pertain to them. Walmart's Director of Social Media, Umang Shah, also
implemented a way to monitor social media conversations almost around the clock
so that questions and issues addressed in social media are addressed as soon as
possible. Before implementing that strategy company analyzed data by utilizing
Social Flow tool. Additionally, Shah stated that engagement online could
be bought, but the true value of the content and the way of engagement is told
by how much succeed without paying for it. Walmart constantly updates its
Facebook feed, and created pages for each store across the nation. As was noted by
Wanda Young, Vice President of Media and Digital Marketing for Walmart,
company's marketing team asks questions to engage its customers on Facebook,
and uses the answers to change the way it does business. Walmart understands
the importance of building relationships with customers through social media
platforms, let's see where this path full of controversy and negativity
will take them...

The 3 F's of Time Management for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs. By Elena Velree.Sometimes we need to slow down in order to get
work done. Being overwhelmed by the pace of my school activities, I realized
that mono-tasking is the way in a real life experience, especially if you are
going to become an entrepreneur. By minimizing distractions and focusing
carefully on the task at a time, we can actually speed up our overall work
rate. With so much head work, we can often neglect our bodies. Regular exercise
helps me blow off steam, gives me more energy, greater concentration and better
sleep at night. It's good to track your time hour-by-hour for one week: everything that you're doing from the time you get up until you go to bed. This is so sobering! By doing that I usually see where the holes in my calendar are. It helps to rearrange my life (and calendar) accordingly. Some may not support me, but
being selfish is a good thing. Once I have prioritized my to-do list, I put
that ahead of all others' lists. When I'm able to get my own work done, I'm in a
much better position to support others with their projects.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

In its purest form PR often promotes
one group's endeavors to persuade another group to its point of view. There is
competition for the available time and space. Some individuals seem to get more
than their fair share. Other are barely visible. Some do not appear at all. The
competition is a fact of life in the news business. That's why it is important
to develop a "hook", a reason that your organization should be
singled out for coverage.

What made you change your opinion of a public figure, organization or
brand?

Upon my arrival in Canada from Republic
of Belarus in 2010 I was not familiar enough with Walmart, the largest retailer
in the world. It was obvious: Winnipeg is packed with company's stores. I must say that my impression about their business was not
vivid, because some former employees I know had negative experience with
Walmart. The list of reasons explained seemed to be endless: horrible wages and high
demands, poor health insurance and
environmental approaches, discrimination against pregnant, labor abuses, high
staff turnover, union-busting, shareholders' greediness, local retailer oppression,
outsourcing from Asia with terrible labor violations. Company spends more
spying on their own employees than on security of their consumers, who are
being robbed, raped and murdered on the parking lot (2005 Walmart parking lot crimes). Word of mouth played its role in shaping my own opinion on Walmart
policies. Now I wonder how does the company address such a bad publicity. Food for thought for a separate blog post...

What factors have influenced your decision to do or not to do something?

Being a member of GoodLife Fitness
Club for the past year I've been constantly following company's presence in the
media. Thanks to their efforts to give every Canadian the opportunity to live a
fit and healthy good life, I got engaged with this whole idea instantly and
can't imagine my life without regular exercising anymore. Since its foundation
in 1979 GoodLife have created a big community with their own values (7 corevalues), which are shared with a positive attitude through multiple ways,
whether it's a blog, forum, facebook page, twitter, training program,
marathons, charity cause, etc. They are definitely good in gathering people. I
find their campaigns are very appealing and messages clear, for example: "When
you experience the life-enhancing benefits of exercise, others around you do as
well." Every new campaign includes short TV spots, radio spots, direct
mail, online and in-club merchandising material. While writing this post I came
across GettingStarted Page, which starts with Founder and CEO's, David
Patchell-Evans's, appeal to fitness beginners. The page contains information
that can be personalized by all kinds of new members, it has many 20 minute
video tutorials, FAQ about workout, club services and reward programs. GoodLife
Fitness do not just draw our attention to make us join the club, they show how
to achieve our personal goals by being a guide into the world of fitness.

What had made you think differently about an issue?

An American stand-up comedian,
social critic, satirist, actor, and writer/author George Carlin made me think
differently about issues in politics, psychology, religion, and other
aspects of socio-cultural life. By employing black humor Carlin was making light of otherwise
solemn subject matter; he knew how to bring up very unpleasant, serious, or
painful topics and make people think about them. Death, war, disease, crime,
corruption, bureaucracy, beliefs, mass cultures, taboos, everything that arises
from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations were served by Carlin
on a plate just like a dish flavored with light, silly, or satirical fashion.
His "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine was complained about to the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) back in 1970's. However, the U.S.
Supreme Court upheld the FCC action, ruling that the routine was "indecent
but not obscene" and giving FCC freedom to determine what constituted
indecency in different contexts. "I think it’s the duty of the
comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately," -
noted Carlin. Portrait by Odwin Rensen